The Year You Left
by Lyrical Heart
Summary: Jack left the game a few years ago, but now he runs a well-to-do technology business. Chase gets suspicious.
1. Second Meeting

It had been six years since Jack Spicer had been to a Showdown. Six years since he had come to visit Chase's palace keep. Six years since the draconic warlord had even laid eyes on the strangely colored young man. Which was why Chase, dressed in an expensive business suit, was currently sitting in the lavish waiting room of Spicer Technologies.

When Jack had hit eighteen, he had simply decided that there were other things in his life he wanted to focus on. He had stopped coming to Showdowns as often, but still came until, one day, he stopped coming all together. The monks, suspicious little hellions that they were, had gone to 'check up' on the techno genius only to find him moving out of his parents' home and bidding them farewell. He had asked that they rely a message of goodbye and 'thanks for the adventures' to everyone in the Xioalin-Heylin conflict for him and promptly disappeared without a forwarding address.

Not long afterwards, a fast growing technology company came on the business scene and was steadily gaining power and respect. Soon, everyone in the world wanted a taste of Jack's inventions. The sudden willingness to help better the world through computers and robotics made Chase suspicious. Which was why he was currently sitting in the bowels of Spicer Technologies in suit.

The door opposite the one Chase had come in opened, and a short woman entered the waiting room. She was thin, wearing a smart black pantsuit, her brown hair pulled back into a haphazard bun as she was scanning a small device that resembled a PDA with her lowered eyes. Despite his nature to be silent, Chase purposefully made a noise to alert the woman of his presence. She looked up with the most piercing eyes Chase could ever recall seeing and stared at him as if he were not suppose to be there.

"Who are you?" Her voice was not what he expected; it was raspy and hoarse as if she had recently been coughing violently. Chase did not stand, but put on his most charming of smiles, careful to conceal his fangs.

"My name is Chase Young, I am here to see Spicer."

"Do you have an appointment?" The question caught him off guard, but he merely shook his head. The woman gave him a look as if he were the dumbest kid on the playground.

"Call the main office, make an appointment. He'll probably be able to see you sometime next year." That said, she turned to leave. Chase stood, holding back a snarl.

"Tell Spicer, I'm here. I guarantee he will see me immediately." The woman rolled her eyes before disappearing back through the door she had come from. Chase settled back into his chair, entertaining different ways of making the woman suffer painfully.

"Hey, Jack-"

"Oh, Shelley! That was quick, so did you get the papers? I can't wait to see those guys' faces when we wipe the floor with them at the convention." Jack Spicer, now 24, was sitting at his desk in his underwear playing a video game. He flicked his eyes up momentarily to his assistant to see her giving him an aggravated look.

"What? We got the papers, didn't we?"

"Yes Jack, we have the papers. One of the bots is bringing them up now. That isn't why I'm back in here though. There's a man in the waiting room, says he wants to talk to you." Jack slouched down in his chair, putting his feet up on his desk before digging a few chips out of the bag snuggled next to his body.

"Does he have an appointment?"

"No, but he says if I told you he was here, you'd see him." Jack snickered.

"Fat chance. Who is it?" He pushed the chips into his mouth as Shelley sighed.

"Uh, Young. Chase Young." The chips quickly decorated Jack's desk as the young man scrambled to his feet. He stared at his assistant before punching a code into his custom computer. Then he swiveled his chair, staring at the wall-screen behind his desk now displaying the security camera feed to the waiting room outside his office. To his utter disbelief, sitting in a chair like a normal person, was Chase Young.

"Oh my god…" Once again, Jack was scrambling to his feet as he called cleaning robots to tidy his office immediately. He frantically looked about for his clothing before turning to his bewildered assistant.

"Shelley, where are my PANTS?!" Shelley stared at him before grabbing him gently by the arm and hauling him to the automated walk-in closet that had been built-in while robots cleaned up their creator's mess.

Five minutes later, the office was spotless and Jack was dressed in a dashing black suit, seated at his desk. He took in a deep breath before looking at Shelley, who was still confused.

"I'll explain later. Okay, show him in."


	2. What You Didn't Know

Chase walked past Shelley without so much as a glance, his eyes focused on the room he entered. As soon as the door shut, the warlord looked around. The office was vast, decorated in dark carved marble. A giant window took up the wall opposite the door with a view of Hong Kong. Chase's eyes flitted over the other doors in the room before finding the sole other occupant.

Jack Spicer sat tall in his chair behind his large desk. He looked different then Chase remembered him. Cleaner, calmer, beautiful. As the warlord approached the desk, Jack stood up, his hand held out for a respectful handshake. This surprised Chase, but he went along with it and shook the younger man's hand.

"Chase, long time no see." Jack said cordially. Chase nodded, focused more on their joined hands. He was being as gentle as he could, remembering Jack's tendency to bruise easily, but Jack's grip was firm. They released each other smoothly, Jack gesturing to a comfortable-looking chair opposite him. They both sat, Chase could not help but notice the albino man lowering himself with grace.

"Can I offer you some refreshments? I have Tieguanyin or would you rather Jun Shan?" The courteous gesture of playing the good host had never failed Jack, but Chase could not help but stare. He decided to test this statement, quirking a brow just so.

"Jun Shan." Chase saw Jack begin to move forward toward a touch screen built into his desk before adding, "Please." A subdued smile split onto the pale man's face as he tapped in the order. Once finished, he sat back, intending to ask why Chase was sitting in his office when the ancient warlord was speaking again.

"You're much… calmer than I expected."

"What do you mean?" Jack asked slowly, a worry line in his forehead becoming more pronounced. Chase shifted purposefully in his chair, hiding his own uncertainty.

"To be completely honest, Spicer, I was expecting you to scream and attempt to have me thrown out." It was to the warlord's surprise when his host chuckled. A few robots came in, silently a placed a cup of tea before Chase and a mug of coffee before their master before leaving just as quickly and silently. Jack picked up his mug, breathing in the steam before taking a sip.

"Heh, come back three years ago for that reaction."

Chase picked up and inhaled the aroma of his tea before cocking an eyebrow at Jack.

"Oh?"

"Mm." Jack hummed, drinking his coffee. He set it down and considered Chase for a moment.

"Actually, that's only half true. It would've depended on the day. I either would've screamed at you or begged you to kill me."

Jun Shan Golden Needles tea is the rarest tea in the world, but that did not stop Chase from spitting it across Jack's desk. Gold eyes stared at the albino, who casually sipped his coffee as if what he had just said were the most natural thing in the world.

"What?"

Jack glanced up at the immortal Chinese man before setting down his mug and preparing himself for a long explanation.

"I was… In a very bad place. The company was having trouble getting on its feet, I had no idea what I was getting myself into and fell into depression. Like a moron, I turned to drugs instead of seeking medical help. I used whatever I could get my hands on, as long as it made me forget who I was and my failures, I didn't care what. I hurt myself and was constantly swinging between violent and melancholy." He turned his gaze to the window, a tiny smile appearing on his face as he continued, "The monks came to see me during those years. I'm pretty sure I scared them, when they saw me like that. I flipped out on them, had them thrown out. I was wasted… So gone. Probably be dead or in a crack house if it weren't for Shelley."

"Shelley?" Chase voiced, a swirl of curiosity in his chest beating back the jealousy that attempted to rear its head. Jack's smile grew wider, which was not helping.

"My assistant, she showed you in. I met her years ago when she was a business student at a party my parents' asked me to attend. I had called her up when I started the business for a few pointers. She came in to see how I was doing with it, found me passed out and took me to the hospital." Jack grinned, a breathy laugh escaping him. "Shelley knocked the sense back into me, helped me get back on my feet and helped me get my business to the point it is today. I keep asking her to be my business partner, but she tells me she has enough of a job as my assistant and stand-in mother." His voice trailed off, not quite looking at Chase as he reached for his coffee again.

They sat in silence for a while, the only sounds the occasional sips of tea or coffee until their cups were empty and left forgotten on the desk. Finally, Jack looked Chase square in the eye.

"So, why are you here after all these years?" There was no bite to his tone, though some part of Chase wished there were. Jack no longer sounded like the cocky wanna-be evildoer that looked up to him with so much adoration. He looked like a proper deal-cutting businessman, with a charitable hand despite his past discrepancies. The warlord rose from his chair and walked over to the oversized window, gazing out over downtown Hong Kong. He waited, listening as Jack got up and followed him, curious for his answer. When the younger man joined him in staring out over the city, Chase asked a question of his own.

"Why are you helping people? Improving society and giving your machines as charity?" Jack's smile was reflected in the glass.

"How else am I to get my technology into every home in the world?" Chase looked at Jack, surprised that he had to crane his neck slightly to meet his eyes as Jack looked at him. The albino genius was still smiling, but it was not a nice smile. In fact, it was the same cocky, villainous smile Chase remembered. At the cock of an eyebrow, Jack looked over his shoulder before doing something he had not done in a very long time. He began to reveal his plan to Chase.

"I've bought out several other companies that have or use my technology so most people won't even know they have it. Everything I sell has a base program that can't be manipulated or contaminated, no matter how often it's reused or reset. Even if it's wiped clean, the base program will still be there. Once there's a product in every household, store, business, etc. I'll activate the base program."

"And when you do?" Chase asked, sensing that Jack was waiting for the question. The smile got darker, more sinister, making the albino look malicious and, in Chase's opinion, delectably gorgeous.

"World domination."


	3. The Snag

Chase could not help it, despite more than 1500 years of self-control and discipline, his jaw went slack. He did not outwardly gape at the younger man, but shock was evident, even if just barely noticeable, on his face. But then again, Jack Spicer had always been one to make Chase react. It was a pleasant surprise that it was no longer with anger, but rather a new feeling entirely. One he had long hoped Jack would grow into inspiring since the day they met. And the young man had finally done it.

"That is a brilliant plan, Spicer. But how are you planning to deal with the monks once they've gotten wind of your scheme?" Chase had seriously thought the grin on Jack face couldn't have gotten wickeder, cockier.

"I said EVERY home, Chase. I've been gracing the temple with some cash for a while now. Soon, I'll _generously_ offer to install a security system on the entire premises so to be able to catch anyone sneaking around. Since I've been out of the game for so long and have been funding them, they'll accept and won't suspect a thing." Jack looked smug and Chase was forcing back thoughts of tackling him then and there to quell his growing lust.

"And what about the Heylin side?" Whom he was referring to specifically went unsaid, it was clear Chase meant everyone other than himself. Jack's shit-eating grin fell, taking on the serious mask of adulthood he had grown into. He walked away, towards the middle of the room, before turning back and staring at his once-idol.

"I have ideas and plans of what I want to do, since they depend largely on Wu, but I've hit a snag." A hand came up and ran through ungelled sunset red hair before finding a place to rest on the back of the young man's neck. Jack sighed, looking back over at Chase.

As strange as it was seeing him in a suit, the ancient warrior was exactly as Jack remembered him. Strong, youthful, powerful in everything he did, even if all he was doing was merely standing. And as Chase stood by his office window, the light falling upon him through the UV filter, Jack remembered why he had had such a fascination with this man. Why he had had such a crush.

"I need a Shen Gong Wu, but I can't ask Xioalin for one nor can I take one, that would make the whole plan null and void. But I still need one, even if it's one of the more useless ones like the Ants in the Pants." Jack sighed again, looking at the ground. He jumped when Chase began speaking, as the warlord was now standing next to him, having made no noise when he moved.

"Sorry, what?" Jack asked sheepishly, reminding himself that Chase was a deadly warrior and could at any moment turn into a 12-foot long lizard. Chase smirked at having caused the younger man to start, noting that though startled, Jack had not panicked.

"I was asking for what purpose you needed a Shen Gong Wu."

"Oh, well, see, I figured out how to void different energies and since magic is just another type of energy, simply at a different, um, frequency, if you will, I figure if I can find that frequency, I can program some robots or something that will nullify a Shen Gong Wu's power, giving me an advantage." Jack gestured with his hands, trying to get his point across as best he could. Chase nodded before smiling an absolutely charming smile.

"Are you free tonight, Spicer?"


	4. Always You

Jack sat nervously at his usual table in his favorite restaurant in Beijing. He was dressed casually in dark jeans and a plum tee sporting the words 'Sanity's on backorder, sarcasm is in unlimited supply' on the front as he fiddled with the edge of the napkin his water glass sat on. Jack honestly did not care that the other patrons were all in black tie and covered in varies amounts of jewelry, he was rich enough that the owner had his finest table cleared whenever Jack stepped foot in the place whether or not there were already people there. It amused the albino to no end, but tonight Jack was just plain antsy. Seconds seemed like hours and just when he was about to panic that he had been made a fool of, he heard a voice.

"Ah, so you did come. _Jack_." Chase smirked, catching the shiver that ran down the younger man's back before taking his seat opposite him. Jack stared at the warlord, looking distant. "What are you staring at, Spicer?"

"Sorry, it's just… weird. Seeing you out of your armor, like this." Jack gestured to Chase's attire; a black turtleneck sweater that fit in all the right places and a pair of dark jeans like Jack's.

The immortal smirked, "Come now, Jack, how many times have you imagined me out of my armor?" Chase had hoped the question would have left the albino blushing and fumbling for words. Instead, he quirked an eyebrow of his own at Chase.

"This most definitely does _not_ live up to those thoughts, let alone the fantasies." This peeked the warlord's interest. Before he could ask, a waitress came by, taking their drink orders and dropping off menus. Once she was gone, Chase turned his attention back to Jack.

"What exactly were these thoughts and fantasies of yours?"

"Let's just say you were wearing a whole hell of a lot less and heaping amounts of spreadable food were involved." Jack never even looked up from his menu nor turned a shade redder. In fact, it was Chase who was gaping for once. When the albino's garnet eyes finally did flick up to meet the gold of his dinner companion's, they were full of humor but also sincerity. As their drinks came and dinner orders went in, they changed the subject to why Chase had asked him to dinner.

"Well, it took me longer then I expected, but I went to acquire something for you that will assist you in the plans you told me about earlier today." Chase leaned down, pulling a box from under the table that he had most certainly _not_ come in with. It was a long, relatively thin package wrapped in a matte black paper with a curly stick-on bow of orange, red and white. Jack's eyes became large and round as he carefully took the gift, thanking Chase breathlessly as he held it in his lap. As his white hands moved to tear the delicate paper, Chase spoke up.

"I would wait, until after we've eaten before you open it." When Jack quirked an eyebrow at him, the warlord smirked. "Trust me, Spicer, you're not going to want to whip this out in public. At least, not this public."

The rest of their dinner was filled polite conversation, a few dirty jokes and Jack constantly trying to make Chase tell him what was in the box. Finally, when the meal was paid for (fully, by Chase no less), the two left the restaurant.

Jack turned to Chase, adjusting his tailored trench coat before holding his hands out for the box the warlord had taken. Instead of handing it to him, Chase began walking away from the restaurant to a nearby vacant public garden, confident that the mortal man would follow. Follow Jack did, huffing out an irritated sigh.

Chase led him to a bench that faced a lit fountain, sitting in silence as he waited for the other. Jack sat down with all the dignity he didn't really feel. Pleased with the albino, the dragon-man passed the wrapped box over.

Jack's face had not expressed so much joy in a very long time, it lit up his sharp features and red eyes. Pure, malevolent glee spread like water across his face as he tore the black paper and threw the lid off the box. The expression and emotion quickly morphed into shock. The Monkey Staff was sitting nestled among black tissue paper, the monkey totem on top staring up at Jack as if asking him where he had gone. Begging for the genius to touch it, hold it, never let go again. Jack broke eye contact with the staff to stare at Chase.

"You're giving this to me?" The warlord, who had been watching the scene in amusement, nodded.

"You said you needed a Shen Gong Wu to make your plans work. Shen Gong Wu are alive, in a way, and have preferences just as we do. The Monkey Staff, while it will tolerate other users, works best for you. It will tolerate any tests you perform on it simply because they are being performed by you." Chase explained, still watching as Jack picked the staff out of the box and hugged it to himself. The ancient man was startled when Jack looked up at him, his red eyes full of tears, and unceremoniously hugged him. Chase sat perfectly still, his senses tingling with the smell and feel of Jack Spicer. Long arms wrapped around his waist, Monkey Staff pressed awkwardly between their bodies, forehead resting and digging slightly into his collarbone as the mixed scent of expensive shampoo, organic lotion and the faintest hint of motor oil drifted up to meet Chase's nose.

Tentatively, the dragonlord looked down and softly whispered, "I've killed men for less." The comment only made the younger man hug him tighter. A small, genuine smile graced Chase's face before he swiftly nudged Jack off of him, yanked the Monkey Staff out from between them and pulled the albino in again, returning the hug this time. Jack clung to Chase this time, tears rolling down his face and words falling from his mouth.

"I never forgot you, since I left. Even when I was drugged out of my mind, I remembered you, could only remember you. When Shelley was forcing me through rehab she kept telling me to give myself a reason to stop… I couldn't find a reason until I thought of you. You were the reason I stopped, Chase. I...I don't even know why I held on to the idea that one day you wouldn't see me as a failure, but it was the only way I could pull myself out and it was the only thought that's been keeping me going…" Jack abruptly pulled away to look Chase in the eye, his face wet and brows furrowed. "Why did you come back?"

Chase sighed, a heavy push of breath, his eyes cast away from the albino momentarily. He said nothing and his movements were not fast, but he still managed to catch Jack by surprise. Their lips touched, just the light connection of a chaste kiss. Jack blinked, his mind slow to process what the fuck was actually happening to him, before he finally kissed Chase back.


	5. Creating Chaos

It was a dark, rainy afternoon, two years after that fateful day Chase had visited Jack in his office. The albino man of 26, stood on the slick balcony of his luxury carrier aircraft as it hovered over the chaos of Hong Kong, a robot holding up an umbrella to shield him from the pelting rain. He was grinning as civilians ran from the technology they depended on, sipping gracefully from a delicate teacup that had been part of the British Royal tea collection only a week before. As an explosion lit up the dismal sky in the southern quarter of the city, another robot zipped silently up to its creator.

"A visitor to see you, Master." Its electronic voice smooth and deep from years of work. And Jack thought he couldn't get smugger. He smiled at the emotionless object and nodded.

"Show him in."

Chase strode powerfully across the beautifully decorated innards of Jack Spicer's aircraft to the open doorway indicated by the electronic hunk of metal that had come to greet him. It was decorated like a home, but the warlord did not stop to admire its splendor. He was far more interested in seeing the owner of all this finery.

Said owner was standing perfectly still, perched on the balcony that ran around the entire aircraft. He was tall and straight, sipping tea elegantly as he watched the destruction below him. Chase set a smirk on his face, tucking his hand on the small of his back as he approached.

"Enjoying the fruits of your labor?" Jack turned, his expression dripping with wickedness.

"Of course. Come and join me?" A white hand patted the railing and a dark eyebrow went up suggestively. Chase was no fool, he knew after the last two years of intimate relations when Jack was being flirty. Just the same, the draconian lord stepped under the protection of the umbrella, a hand going to Jack's hip. The redhead hummed happily as he was kissed, but didn't turn it into something dirtier. He wanted to continue watching the show below.

"Have the monks shown yet?"

"No, but with level of distress and chaos, they'll should be any-"

"Master, Xiaolin monks approaching." Both men glanced at the robot. Chase raised an eyebrow elegantly as Jack grinned, flicking the expensive teacup over the railing.

"Showtime."


	6. My Paradise

The Xiaolin monks stared around at the destruction as they landed in the center of Hong Kong. Androids were slaughtering or imprisoning people left and right. Dojo shrunk himself, hiding away in Omi's tunic as a building a few blocks away exploded. Each monk pulled out a Shen Gong Wu, nodding to each other in silent agreement before setting themselves to their task.

Omi, with the Orb of Tsunami in hand, ran towards a building that was engulfed in towering flames. Leaping into the air, he held the glassy sphere before him, proclaiming the magical object's name. But nothing came.

"Orb of Tsunami!" Omi shouted louder, shaking the ball as he touched back onto the debris covered ground. No water came forth, no matter how loud or how many times he shouted at the Wu. A passing robot noticed the small yellow monk making the ruckus and hovered over to detain the would-be do-gooder.

Omi gasped when a claw grasped him around the middle, causing him to drop the sphere. In horror, he and Dojo, who peeked out of his tunic, watched as the Orb of Tsunami shattered against the pavement as if it were nothing more than mere glass.

Jack grinned as four bots reported they were coming back to the ship, monks in tow. He turned to Chase, eyes glittering.

"Care to join me, or would you rather just watch?" It was a sincere question and it flattered Chase to no end that Jack would share his triumph with him. He shook his head, a toothy smile gracing his elegant features.

"No, I want to see you strike fear into their hearts. I'll be waiting in the bedroom when you're finished." With that, Chase followed one of the less threatening robots into the aircraft's bowels. The redhead watched him go, feeling smug. Straightening his suit, he followed them in, turning in the opposite direction to address the monks.

The monks were roughly shoved before a small set of stairs, each one baring some kind of restraining ornament on their person, specially designed to them. Even Dojo bore a garish metal collar with varies nail and screw heads adorning it. Jack sat in his mechanical throne, looking down at them boredly.

"What the fuck took you so long? I've been at this for the better part of the day, guys." He said conversationally, taking hold of the stem of a wine glass that sat on the arm of his throne. He took a sip, his exposed throat gracefully bobbing as he swallowed. Jack had always been quite the showman.

Clay, bruised and baring glistening black spheres around his hands, struggled to prop himself up. His blue eyes glared up at the albino man, his deep Southern voice warbling from pain in spite of his anger. "Jack… What in tarnation ya think yer doin'?"

The man seemed to consider this, tapping his finger against his smooth cheek even as he took another sip of his wine. "Doing? Why, I'm taking over. Your world was unfit to serve my purpose and needs, therefore, I'm removing it to make room for my paradise." He swept his hand around the room, "Any other questions?"

Raimundo struggled this time, only he was struggling to his feet. Jack smirked deeply, holding a hand up so his robots would not slaughter the copper-skinned young man. He wanted to see this.

"What makes you think we're just gonna lie down and let you take over?" He was sporting a black eye and undoubtedly a few broken ribs as well as sleek metal cuffs around his wrists and ankles. Jack's glee was shining from his face.

"I never thought you would." He took another sip, as if completely unthreatened by Raimundo. He knew this would piss off the temperamental Xiaolin leader. The Brazilian growled and pulled back into his stance as best he could.

"_Wudai Wind_!" He thrust his arms out to push the magical attack at the smirking albino. Nothing came though. "Huh?"

Weakly, each warrior tried to no avail to use their magic against the man sitting on the throne. Jack made no comment, only watching with a malicious smile until they fell on one another in exhaustion.

"As you have no doubt discovered, you cannot use your powers. Each of the contraptions on your person was specifically designed to cancel out the energy of your personal magical. All of you, that is, except for Dojo." Crimson eyes turned to the lizard-sized dragon who was attempting to slither up to Omi. Dojo froze, turning his own gaze up to met Jack's.

"Dojo is free to change his size." For a moment, a glimmer of hope sparked in the Xiaolin warriors. If Dojo could change size, they could go home, regroup and figure out a way to fix this. Jack allowed this glimmer as he sipped his wine.

"The collar around his neck, however, will remain the same size and cannot be removed." And the glimmer was gone. The monks no longer had their powers and they were too weak to use their martial arts to defeat the robots. Jack had won.

Kimiko raised her head, her blue eyes containing so much poison and hate Jack thought he might burst from the joy of it all. "What are you going to do with us?"

The redhead smiled and for the first time in their lives, the monks found they truly feared Jack. Not because he was insane or because he had finally defeated them, but in that smile Jack finally looked like the evil villain he had claimed to be back in their childhood. He was poised, he was intelligent, he knew what he was doing and he knew how to do it. And in that one, final, wicked smile, Jack was the one they feared more than anyone.

Red eyes flicked up to the robots the stood in silent obedience behind the monks. "Take the dragon to my lab. As for the rest…" An elegant sip and return of a dark grin, "Kill them."


	7. Epilogue

Jack finished his wine with a simple tip of his head, exposing the long column of his neck though there were no living beings in the room to admire the gesture. Darkened eyes slid across the now lifeless bodies of the people he once knew in his childhood, the albino man snapped his unoccupied fingers. An android was immediately at attention.

"Are any of Shelley's family still around?" His tone was cold, lacking genuine interest.

A few lights across the metal humanoid's chest flashed before it answered in a smooth automated voice, "No, Master."

Jack sighed, handing the delicate wine glass to the automaton before wiping his hands against his knees, smearing the arterial droplets of Kimiko's blood that had landed there. "Pity. Very well, bring these down and have her stuff them. I want them all fit to be put in my trophy room by tomorrow night." With that, the robot was dismissed.

Looking down at the blood-spattered floor of his throne room, Jack let his mind momentarily wander. When he was sixteen, the sight of even the tiniest drop of the crimson liquid made him queasy yet he had just witnessed all four of his previous rivals being relieved of nearly all of the stuff.

A quote from one of Jack's favorite movies wriggled into his stream of consciousness. _Relief or regret_? With the monks gone, no one was truly in a position to stop him. He could nullify the powers of all Shen Gong Wu magic and the elemental powers. The only person who had a power outside of the use of Shen Gong Wu was Chase, and the draconic warrior was currently waiting for him in his bedroom. As Jack rose, he found himself beaming with his ability to answer Quentin Tarantino's question.

_Relief_.

Chase sat perfectly still, levitating a few feet off the floor of Jack's carrier-craft bedroom. He was stripped down to his silk trousers, the very picture of calm when he sensed the triumphant approach of Jack Spicer. Cracking open an eye, Chase smirked as the door automatically slid open to allow the younger man's entrance. His smirk faded, however, upon the sight of a small decoration of droplets upon Jack's left cheek.

The ancient warlord smoothly dropped out of the air and onto his feet, his years of practice allowing him to easily reach out and grab the albino's chin in mere seconds. In a display of his maturity, Jack did not yelp or pull away. He only tensed, staring at Chase in bewilderment at the man's actions. A thumb swiped through the drying liquid, smearing it prettily across the lily-white cheek and depositing it onto the warrior's finger.

Chase pulled his hand away, sniffing the offending digit before gold eyes snapped onto Jack.

"What is this?" It was a low, almost growled demand. The robotics genius did not back down as he would in his younger days. He met Chase's eye, unfaltering, with a bored expression.

"Blood."

The golden eyes narrowed, pupils becoming slits in anger. "Whose?"

Jack looked at Chase's hand thoughtfully; looking completely unbothered by the dangerous man's mounting fury.

"I believe that was Raimundo's, but I could be wrong." His eyes flicked back up to meet the older man's. "Why do you ask?"

"YOU KILLED THEM?" The question was roared, Chase's chest heaved, his fangs bared. Jack finally showed an emotion. He quirked an eyebrow at the display of rage, stepping back as if his only fear was he might get spit on from the force of the speech. When his eyes had once again met the now glowing orbs of Chase, his brows furrowed.

"Yes, Chase I killed them. I'm not finished." He stated, seeing the warrior opening his mouth to speak. Jack narrowed his eyes, looking every bit the evil, angry businessman he was.

"I killed them, because for the last thirteen years of my life, I have been trying to beat them. That's half of my life, Chase. Half of my life, the Xioalin monks have been a part of it. After five years of taunting and teasing, of failing at being everything I wanted to be I needed to strike out on my own. I failed at that too and they came and saw that too. Shelley, despite her limited vision, was the springboard I needed to enact my revenge. I wanted them broken and bleeding. I wanted everything they had done to me to happen to them and I wanted to be the one to pull the trigger. That's why I started this project. And once they had seen what I had become, what I was capable of; I did exactly what everyone has done to me when I was deemed no longer useful. I disposed of them."

Jack was trembling ever so slightly from his own conviction, his eyes focused on Chase in a challenging glare. His entire being was radiating power; he was daring the warrior to try him. Try to test his strengths. Go ahead, take the swing. But Chase inhaled, giving him a sidelong look of annoyance.

"I thought we were in this together, Spicer."

Jack was silent for a moment, waiting to see if Chase would go on. When he did not, he slowly exhaled, trying not to lose his diction but not wanting to fight either.

"I procured Dojo and I have a cloning program underway to ensure you can continue to have your immortality through your soups. It is my gift to you, unless you want to walk away from me."

The dragon-lord turned fully towards the younger man, considering him carefully. He knew this day would come, when they would both want the world and would need to choose.

"And if I do?"

Jack hid the emotional blow well, crossing his arms over his chest for both optical affect and to give himself reassurance.

"I will destroy Dojo, the program, and every other living dragon."

Chase blinked, despite the slightly insecure stance, his senses were screaming Jack's sincerity. The older man weighted his options carefully. Life pitted against Jack, who'd kill off his food supply until he was forced to wither away. He could simply kill the impudent little worm and take the program, living out his years in his lair… Or he could have an eternity of Jack's supple body, guaranteed Lao Mang Long until the end of time and shared world domination…

Chase Young was not a stupid man. Which was why he stepped forward, caught Jack's hips in his hands, dragged the younger man forward and licked the blood smear from his smooth cheek.

Omi's blood.

"You've made your choice then?"

Instead of verbally replying, the warrior continued with the tongue on skin contact, tracing the curvature of Jack's jaw and neck. If he had to choose, he wanted the best, and the techno genius had proven himself more than worthy of his time and attention these last few years.

It was about time he repaid that effort.


End file.
